OEDIPUS REX
INTRODUCTION
MAIN CHARACTERS
Teiresias
• Blind prophet and
servant of Apollo
• Reveals the reasons
for the devastation
and plague in Thebes
Teiresias
• One of the most
powerful characters in
the play
• Tells Oedipus he will
become blind and poor
Jocasta
• Wife AND mother of
Oedipus
• She tells Oedipus not to
trust in the oracles
• She tries to protect
Oedipus from the awful
truth
Jocasta
• She alternately
condemns and upholds
the authority of the
oracles as best suits
the direction of the
argument at the moment
Oedipus
• Protagonist
• His name means
“swollen-foot”
• He inspires both pity
and fear
Oedipus
• A hereditary curse has
been placed on his family,
and he unknowingly has
fulfilled the terms of the
prophecy that he would
kill his father (Laius) and
marry his own mother
(Jocasta)
Oedipus
• When he curses the
murderer of Laius, he
is cursing himself and
predicting his own exile
and consequent life of
“wretchedness.”
Oedipus
• He is wise, revered by
his subjects, and
dedicated to the
discovery of truth
• He wants to rid Thebes
of the plague, but Fate
and the Gods have other
things in store for him
Chorus of Theban Elders
• Men of Thebes who honor
and respect the king and
the gods
• Their odes reveal both a
strong attachment to the
king as well as grounding in
religious culture
Creon
• Brother of Laius
• Oedipus feels threatened by
Creon and believes that he
covets the throne
• Creon defends himself saying
he has no desire to be king
and that Oedipus harms
himself in making such
accusations
Messenger
• Tells Oedipus that King
Polybos of Corinth is dead
• Oedipus learns from the
messenger that Polybos was
not his father
• The messenger had been
given Oedipus as an infant by
one of Laius’ men
Shepherd of Laius
• Reveals his information only after
Oedipus threatens his life
• Admits to receiving the infant (he
gave to Polybos’ messenger) from
Laius and Jocasta
• Oedipus eventually realizes his
own identity and his crimes of
patricide and incest after hearing
the shepherd’s story
Second Messenger
• Announces and describes
Jocasta’s suicide
• Predicts future sorrows
for a people whose kings
descend from this
polluted line
The Chorus
• Choral odes bring an
additional viewpoint to
the play
• Offer a broader and
more socio-religious
perspective than those
offered by individual
characters
MAIN THEMES
KEY THEMES
• The Limits of Free Will
• The Willingness to
Ignore the Truth
• Sub-themes:
– Quest for Identity and Truth
– Nature of Innocence and Guilt
– Nature of Moral Responsibility
THEMES Cont’d.
• Limits of Free Will
– Prophecy is CENTRAL to story
– Oedipus and Jocasta debate the extent to
which prophecies should be trusted
– When ALL prophecies come true, it appears
that ONE of Sophocles’ aims is to justify
the power of the Gods and prophets
– Can in fact just be showing that
error/disaster can happen to anyone, that
humans are relatively powerless before
Fate or the Gods, and that a cautious
humility is the best attitude toward life
THEMES Cont’d.
• Willingness to Ignore the Truth
– Oedipus fastens on to any detail in hope
that it will exonerate him
– Seeking the truth is his only motivation (so
he believes = illusion)
– Information given in key speeches is largely
intended to make audience aware of
IRONY, BUT –--– Also emphasizes how desperately Oedipus
and Jocasta want to avoid the obvious
truth (they look at the info presented to
them but pretend not to see it)
Sub-themes
• Quest for Identity and Truth
– Oedipus begins seeking justice for
Thebes (murder mystery) and then
begins seeking his own identity
• Nature of Innocence and Guilt
– Can Oedipus be held accountable
when it seems he is MADE to do
what he does?
• Nature of Moral Responsibility
– Killing father and sleeping w/ mother
are major crimes (unforgivable)
Symbols and Motifs
• Symbols
– Oedipus’s swollen foot
– The Three-Way Crossroads
• Motifs
– Sight and Blindness
AUTHOR STYLE
Literary Devices
• Dramatic Irony
• Foreshadowing
• Imagery
Author Style - Imagery
• References to light and
darkness to predict the
future
Example of Imagery
• The priest says at the
beginning: "All the
house of Kadmos is laid
waste; all emptied, and
all darkened.”
Example of Imagery
• Oedipus promises
Creon: “Then once
more I must bring
what is dark to
light.”
Author Style - Foreshadowing
• Teiresias tells Oedipus
that it is he who is blind
“But I say that you,
with both your eyes,
are blind. You cannot
see the wretchedness
of your life.”
Irony
• Use of Dramatic Irony heightens
audience response to actions of
story
• Audience already knows the
details of the story, legend
• Reinforces audience empathy for
Oedipus (key to catharsis)